Title

Author

Degree Date

Document Type

Dissertation - Public Access

Degree Name

Ed.D. Doctor of Education

Academic Discipline

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Ted Purinton

Second Advisor

Geri Chesner

Third Advisor

Carlos M. Azcoitia

Abstract

Students across the country are deciding to leave school at an early age, not enroll in college, and have limited opportunities in regards to employment. Instead of developing systems to address these needs, many American schools have chosen to label these students as at-risk and place them in computer labs with limited supervision. Considering the myriad of variables many young people face while navigating through a shifting economy demanding higher critical thinking and sophisticated job embedded skills, this study asks why failing prevailing educational practices are not being replaced with new innovations to address this serious need. Instead of using school to alter the destination mindset of students, it seems we are creating institutions to intentionally watch these students continue to fail. Traditional classrooms and tracking applications within general learning management systems reveal that these students need a true alternative to the one currently being provided. This dissertation is a program evaluation of a system designed to stem drop out recidivism. Specifically it evaluates the conceptualizing a fluid redefined blended learning program and seeks to answer if the monitoring of skill-based student work according to feedback along higher order thinking skills, both electronically and in the classroom, would lead to increased tests scores? Alternative students and teachers participating at Community Youth Development Institute were provided an opportunity to construct an environment of teaching and learning that would lend to predicting postsecondary success beyond the standard educational practices. Their decisions would be accommodated by a unique tracker to improve the gap in providing the monitoring and feedback needed in these students’ lives.